Ex-Russian president calls Moldovan government ‘traitor’ for renaming state language to Romanian

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev on Friday called Moldovan authorities "traitors to their homeland" for naming the state language from Moldovan to Romanian.

"The local chiefs began selling it (Moldova) to Romania, becoming traitors to their homeland," Medvedev, who also served as Russian president from 2008 to 2012, said in a Telegram statement, referring to the former Soviet republic's recent decision to rename the state language from Moldovan to Romanian.

Medvedev stated that the people of Moldova have to decide who they are-Moldavans or Romanians-and how they want to interact with the authorities.

Moldovan President Maya Sandu and Prime Minister Dorin Recean should respect the sovereignty of the breakaway region of Transnistria, he said.

The senior Russian also slammed the Moldovan authorities for banning Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, from entering the country.

He mocked the Moldavian government's decision, stating that no Russian official planned to travel to Moldova.

If the Moldovan authorities continue on this path, it will be impossible for anyone to visit their country because there will be no such state, he said, branding the Moldavian authorities "traitors."

"It makes no sense to talk to them about anything," he added.